Lions quarterback Casey Printers makes his new signature spell leader.
HAMILTON - His B.C. Lions were pinned on their own eight, leading 23-16, but huddled in the end zone with the wildest of the 27,430 at Ivor Wynne Stadium howling at them in the dying seconds of the third quarter. Momentum had been moving back and forth throughout the afternoon. The Tiger-Cat faithful sensed the chance here: a stop, a potential safety, getting solid field position, the driver's seat ahead of them going into the fourth quarter.
Here came the payoff pitch.
Two months and two days after Blue Bombers head coach Mike Kelly stood before the media in Manitoba's capital and firmly stated "Look in my eyes folks, Casey Printers is not coming to Winnipeg. OK? There we go,", here was Printers in a staredown himself.
It was 2nd and 10 and the 28-year-old Texan, who was in football exile seven weeks ago, looked at his teammates with remarkable poise.
"Just stay composed, guys," Printers told the other 11 white jerseys in the huddle. Then he barked out the play call that came in from offensive coordinator Jacques Chapdelaine: split leak.
Printers didn't return to the league until Sept. 21, out of football since Feb. 19 when these Tiger-Cats finally cut the cord with what was then an enigma of a man and quarterback as the league's top player.
Sunday, no longer. Finally, it was as if it finally clicked.
With the stern assurance to his teammates to remain calm, Printers was unflappable on the most critical snap of the afternoon. Under the shadow of his own goalpost, he looked to his left and unleashed a magnificent ball deep along the stripe of the sideline. The floating spiral went just over the shoulder of Hamilton cornerback Geoff Tisdale, and into the hands of Emmanuel Arceneaux 49 yards downfield.
First-and-10 Lions, end of the third, a snap later. The statement play in the statement game in the renaissance of a CFL career.
"He's got his confidence back," shrugged his former teammate Otis Floyd, who like most Hamilton defenders was unable to corral Printers, as elusive as he was in 2004, as fluid as any veteran CFL pivot in the game today.
"Once I saw Arceneaux slap the DB's hand down, I just threw it," Printers said later. "Because I trust him. I just trust that those guys can make plays. That's what you do as the quarterback of a football team - you've got to trust the guys to go make plays for you."
For Printers to make that connection with Arceneaux on such a pivotal play that was as much about timing, feel and instinct as it was delivery and moxie, spoke volumes of how far he has come from the toxic aura that surrounded him from the morning after he was presented with the league's Most Outstanding Player trophy in November of 2004.
"Casey is an intelligent guy. He's poised. He's very mature. He did a great job," said Geroy Simon, who caught five of the 24 completed balls for 111 yards. "I'm not surprised at all."
Printers was efficient, precise and clutch in a hostile environment. 13-of-15 completed for 178 yards and a rushing touchdown at the break. By the end of the afternoon he'd thrown for 360 yards, fired the game-winning touchdown toss to Ian Smart in overtime and in the short time since signing with the Lions, reversed the stigma that has dogged his professional career the last half-decade: of being selfish, of being a locker-room issue and being unable to deliver when a significant game was on the line.
It takes a signature performance on a big stage to change perception. Printers used fine ink Sunday in Hamilton. The strike to Arceneaux, the upbeat message on the bench to the offence at the end of regulation to deliver the opening blow in overtime, the mistake-free football that is needed to win in the playoffs.
"Casey's a tremendous leader. He's got that charisma," said Wally Buono afterwards. "Casey's focus right now is on the team and on winning and on doing his job."
Shake that in your time capsule and try to believe it: Printers being proclaimed a leader.
"He can create anything out of nothing," shrugged B.C. defensive back Korey Banks. "He gave us life today."
And so this is how a team from British Columbia will go into Montreal with a chance to represent the East (East!) Division in the Grey Cup next Sunday: with their fifth quarterback of the year leading the Lions with a brilliant performance in the opening round of this 2009 post-season.
"I told Casey what I expected. I told him what I wanted to see," Buono said. "I wanted to see Casey walk off the field with the game ball. And Casey walked off the field with the game ball. Do I need to say anything more?"
